Israel-Hamas War Casts Pall over Christmas Eve Vespers in Bethlehem

The gray sky and light rain reflected the somber atmosphere in Bethlehem this Christmas, with the city largely stripped of lights, songs, and music. The deployment of law enforcement was significant, despite the streets being mostly bereft of pilgrims and local Christians.

Tensions continue to linger following the Dec. 21 meeting of the patriarchs and heads of the churches of Jerusalem with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The controversy has only partially eased in the wake of a clarification statement issued on Dec. 23.

The Scouts of the Holy Land opened the small procession, displaying banners expressing solidarity with the population of Gaza and calling for a cease-fire. Phrases such as “Gaza in the heart,” “Our children want to play and laugh,” and “Let the war stop now” could be read on some of them.

In Manger Square, where the Christmas tree is usually set up, a Nativity scene has been arranged featuring the Holy Family amid the debris of war and surrounded by barbed wire. Addressing journalists, the cardinal emphasized the importance of unity among Christians and the Palestinian people because “the work of the devil is to divide.”

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The patriarch went on to enter the Basilica of the Nativity, where he celebrated the first vespers of Christmas together with the Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land, who oversee the site. In procession the friars, along with the patriarch, descended into the Grotto of the Nativity to pray where Jesus was born.